Senators Reintroduce Savanna’s Act to Help Improve Information Sharing, Data Collection, and Response Protocols for All Levels of Law Enforcement
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 29, 2019) – U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and eight others to introduce Savanna’s Act, legislation to combat the epidemic of murdered and missing Indigenous women (MMIW) by improving the federal government's response to the crisis.
The bipartisan bill increases coordination among all levels of law enforcement, increases data collection and information sharing, and empowers tribal governments with the resources they need in cases involving missing and murdered indigenous women and girls wherever they occur.
“Native women go missing and experience violence at alarming rates but, too often, cases go uninvestigated and unresolved. This is simply unacceptable,” said Udall, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “Native women deserve better, and Tribes deserve more authority and additional resources to properly address the MMIW epidemic. Savanna’s Act is an important first step in making sure Native women receive the justice they deserve while making Native communities safer and stronger in the process.”
“Native women and girls face appalling levels of violence, exploitation and murder,” said Heinrich. “This bill takes steps to improve the federal government’s response to addressing the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women both in New Mexico and nationwide. With tribal law enforcement and federal agencies working together to improve data collection and standardize protocols, we can work to stop this epidemic and keep communities in New Mexico safe.”
In October 2017, former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) introduced Savanna’s Act, cosponsored by Senator Murkowski, the first piece of major legislation specifically addressing missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. The legislation is named for Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, who was abducted and killed last year in Fargo, North Dakota. It passed the U.S. Senate unanimously in December 2018 but was not taken up in the House.
Savanna's Act: